Our Opinion: U.S. Postal Service continues to deliver results

From today's Opinion Page: It’s a good time to say thank you to central Illinois mail carriers, who have battled a tough winter to deliver letters and packages throughout the region.

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The State Journal-Register

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Posted Feb. 14, 2014 at 1:00 AM

Posted Feb. 14, 2014 at 1:00 AM

Springfield may not be out of the woods yet when it comes to winter, but things certainly are looking up with some high temperatures in the forecast that residents here haven’t seen in weeks.

More snow is in the forecast first, though, with 2 to 4 inches of accumulation predicted for today.

It’s a good time to say thank you to central Illinois mail carriers, who have negotiated snow-packed streets, slippery sidewalks, unshoveled driveways and bitterly cold wind chills to deliver letters and packages throughout the region all season. Winter weather is something mail carriers are accustomed to dealing with every year, but 2014 has packed quite a punch.

Most people are probably familiar with the famous statement, inscribed on the James Farley Post Office in New York, about mail carriers: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

Winter 2014 didn’t stop the mail, but it sure didn’t make things easy on postal service workers and others in the delivery business.

“This year the weather across this country has been very odd. The challenge for our carriers has been immense,” Jeffery Williamson, vice president of human resources for the postal service, told The State Journal-Register editorial board Wednesday.

He also commended mail carriers, saying, “Our employees do an amazing job on a daily basis, delivering for the American public. As I talk to the employees, the passion and the commitment they have for our mission … has never wavered.”

Mail carriers in the Gateway District, which includes the Springfield area, spent a lot of time this winter staying informed about the weather, preparing for the challenges it presented and taking precautions to prevent injuries. For example, Gateway District manager David Martin said, carriers upgraded to a newer boot cleat this year to help keep them from slipping on ice. The old cleats they used had to be taken off or put back on every time they got in or out of their vehicles.

The postal service also designated some veteran carriers as “safety captains” and paired them with newer carriers. The veterans were able to go out on mail routes with the rookies and let them know about various issues, such as customers who tend not to shovel and other hazards.

“Understanding the changes and the challenges is 90 percent of the battle,” Martin said.

One way residents can show their appreciation for mail carriers and other delivery people is to clear their sidewalks, porch steps and stoops as soon as possible after a snowfall. It’s easy to put off the task or ignore it all together, but removing snow from the pathways makes their job safer, easier and more efficient.

Page 2 of 2 - And while we’re on the subject, overdue credit goes to the postal service for stellar work even before the polar vortex swept into the Midwest. Employees delivered impressive on-time shipping results during the holidays, while rival shipping companies faltered. Bloomberg Business Week called the USPS the “unlikely star” of the holiday shipping season.

The postal service is fighting a lot of battles these days — adapting to the public’s communication habits, government oversight, a daunting unfunded pension liability, changing infrastructure needs, and making sure the 238-year-old postal service remains relevant and affordable.

But there are glimmers of hope for the postal service and its future. And while this winter has been challenging for employees, they have risen to the occasion time and again and shown they are a vital part of the community.

Coming Sunday: SJ-R business editor Tim Landis takes a closer look at the Springfield postal service operations and how things have changed.